Ice-tongs



(No Model.) h DIMOND.

I 105 Toms.

No. 294,975. Patented Mar. 11, 1884.

' N. PETERS. Ptmm-unm ncr. Wlihi'lgkon. D. c

Unites STATES PATENT @rrice.

IVILLIAB'I DIMOND, OF HUNTINGTON, INDIANA.

lCE-TONGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 294,975, dated March 11, 1884.

Application filed September 12,1883.

(No model.)

ice-tongs; and it consists in the construction,

combination, and arrangement of the several parts forming the same, as will be hereinafter fully described, and specifically set forth in the claims.

In the drawing I have illustrated in front elevation an ice-tongs constructed according to my invention.

The handle-bar A is provided at its upper end with a hand-hold, A, preferably made in the ring form shown, but which may, when desired, be a simple cross-bar mounted on the upper end of the bar A. This bar is bent at an obtuse angle midway its ends, for the purposes presently set forth. 1

To the bar A, at the bend thereof, I pivo the upper end of the strap or metallic bar B, made about as long as the lower or angled portion of the handle-bar. Ialso swivel the guidering or keeper 0 to the handle-bar atthe bend thereof and on the opposite side from the strap 13. This keeper is provided with an opening fitted to permit the passage and working of the operating-rod, hereinafter described. The grapples or hooks D D are pivoted together at d, near their upper ends, and their upper ends are pivotally secured, respectively, to the lower endof strap B and handle-bar A, as clearly shown. An operating-rod, E, is secured at its lower end to the pivot d of the grapples, and extends upward through the keeper 0, and. is provided at its upper end with a ring or edge, E, which can be readily caught by the fingers.

In the operation of the device it will be seen that by drawing on the operating-rod E the grapples or hooks D D are spread-wide apart, as clearly indicated in the dotted lines. This action is readily accomplished by the single hand, the ring E being in easy reach of one of the fingersusually the middle one-of the hand grasping the hand-hold A. This spreads the grapples in position to be passed down on opposite sides of the block of ice, in which the points firmly engage when the op; crating-rod is released. It will also be seen that by use of the handlebar, strap, 820., the tongs are carried by a single hand-hold, A, avoiding the double hand-holds of common tongs; also, that by bending the handle-bar,

as shown and described, the said hand-hold is arranged in a vertical line with the pivot d of the grapples when they are caught on a block of ice, and the carrying of the ice is rendered easier.

It is obvious that the operating-rod might be dispensed with, and the grapples opened by hand; also, that the handle-bar might be made straight, as well'as that the guide or keeper 0 might be made rigid; but I prefer the construction of handle-bar and operating-rod as shown and described, for the reasons stated. I also prefer to swivel the keeper 0, as then the opening through it maybe made to fit the rod E snugly, and the keeper will conform to the change in the position of the said rod, as indicated in dotted lines, when the grapples are opened, whereas if the keeper were rigidly fixed in position the operating-rod passage would have to be enlarged to permit the change of position described, and the action would not be so smooth and easy as obtained by the construction-shown.

A workman can carryone of my tongs in each hand, and grasp the ice with each, whereas with the ordinary ice-tongs both hands are required to catch the tongs on the ice, as is well understood.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. In an ice-tongs substantially as described and shown, the combination, with the pivoted grapples, the handle-bar, and the connectingstrap, of the operating-rod having its lower end secured to the grapples at the pivot there of, and its upper end held in suitable guides and contiguous to the hand-hold, as and for the purposes specified.

2. The ice-tongs composed of the handlepivot thereof, all arranged and operating sub- 10 stantially as and for the purposes specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I append my signature.

\V I LLT AM I )IMON 1).

Witnesses:

Jos. G. IBACH, XVILLIAM A. BRANYAX. 

